This date in Weekender history

Sure, today’s Weekender is good, but you shoulda seen what we had 5, 10 and 15 years ago. Whoo-wee!

Dec. 13, 2002

Events: Yikes! Former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach is on the cover! And he’s dressed like Jesus! The occasion was the touring version of “Jesus Christ Superstar” coming to the Majestic as part of the Broadway Series. Bach told staff writer Deborah Martin he gave up beer for the role — not to be more godly, but to lose weight.

“I’m wearing a loincloth (in the second act) … it’s a real skimpy outfit. I had to run and get in shape, and I also rehearsed my little tush off for months and months and months.”

Music: Holiday Saxophones pays tribute to Randy Garibay, who died of cancer earlier in the year. Also, Juanes is at Planeta Mexico; Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison bring their holiday show to Gruene Hall for the first time; the Burden Brothers, featuring ex-Toadie Todd Lewis, play the Rox.

Dec. 12, 1997

Music: Puff Daddy plays the Alamodome! Too bad he didn’t have any big names with him — the bill also included Usher, Jay-Z, Foxy Brown, Busta Rhymes and Kid Capri. It’s a reminder that hip-hop artists should get out more.

“It feels good to be part of hip-hop history,” Usher, then 18, told E-N freelancer Anthony Thompson. And geez, look at this! Turn the page, and there’s Aerosmith, also playing the dome a few days after Puffy. Music writer Ramiro Burr interviewed Joe Perry, who said of the band’s early days, “I never thought, ‘Well, am I gonna do this when I’m 45?’ I just wanted to make it to the next week, make sure I could pay the rent and have a really good time.” Opening act was Talk Show, the Stone Temple Pilots spinoff that included everyone but drug-addled singer Scott Weiland.

Movies: Can you handle the truth? “A Few Good Men” tops the openings, which also include “A Muppet Christmas Carol” and a murder mystery, “Traces of Red,” of which I remember absolutely nothing about. It stars James Belushi and Lorraine Bracco.